Critical Thinking@Julia’s blog

Imagine someone told you 10 million dollars had been put in your bank account.
What is your first reaction?
What is your second response?

When we find ourselves in a situation for the very first time ( like receiving a huge quantity of money) we often jump to an initial emotional reaction. When you read an essay question asking you to do something ( discuss/analyse/compare/evaluate etc) for the very first time you may also have an initial emotional reaction.

What is an essay question to you?

Is it a threat?

photo credit: stuartpinfold

Is it a opportunity?

photo credit: Wolfgang Wildner
Is it an invitation?

photo credit: nicksarebi

After the initial reaction to newness we often have a second more considered response, to find out more information. Where did the money come from? Is it really mine? How should I manage it in an ethical and considerate manner? Who else has been in this situation before and what can their experience tell me about what I currently face?

There are lots of useful sites that can tell you how to manage the essay question and what steps to take to analyse it carefully and completely.
this is a useful list from the Learning Centre at UNSW

And remember start the process early in the semester.